By Ragan M. Conteh

Many residents have reportedly paralyzed in the capital Freetown after tragedy of continuous rainfall.

Since the beginning of July month, the down pour started coming and have resulted to the collapse of several buildings, while houses are swept away with many reported deaths.

On her way to rescue people at residential areas, Mayor Aki Sawyer almost fell a victim herself.

Wearing a protective gear, Mayor Aki Sawyer narrowly escaped a sweeping of some water flooding lie a river.

Many disasters have happened, one is also reported of at SSS camp, in Waterloo and in some slum communities.

The more than two weeks’ downpour caused a collapse on a four storey building while many homes also affected by the rains.

In Waterloo, market stalls were swept away by the rainwater and businesses got damaged.

Some major roads in the city were cut off by the flooding and the debris overflown the streets, causing traffic.

Apart from the huge cost of the downpour in the city, the provincial districts also suffered the same fate.

Many roads in the up country are similarly cut off while farmers are being prevented from accessing their farms due to the flooding.

In Moyamba district, it was reported that the flooding affects major roads and the people had to wait at homes.

Recently, Sierra Leone’s Metrological Agency’s forecast indicated that this year’s wet season will experience  downpours and urged residents especially those living along the coastal ways to be alert and take precautionary measures.

It is still unclear as to how many lives were lost to the 21 days of continuous rains in Sierra Leone.

Report has said about a dozen have lost their lives while the Freetown City Council and its leadership having been out and about to save lives of the vulnerable masses.

The Office of the National Security and Disaster Agency also reported to have rescued many residents in the disaster prone communities and had therefore called on government and international charity organisations to help the needy under these trying times.

“We are in a death trap. We are not safe. We will be victim like those August 14, 2017 mudslide at Regent village if government and authorities fail to take action,” Salamatu Kargbo, a resident,  said.

Streets which were never experiencing such flooding disasters become major prone areas as climate change now seriously affects communities across Sierra Leone.

During this period of the rains, homes along the riverine areas were reportedly swept to the sea while valuable properties are still unaccounted for.